The Kindness
by TheRoarOfAtlas
Summary: An oddly-named scavenger acquires a contract of uncertain consequence.
1. Chapter 1: Scavenger

It had been a quiet night in Underworld. Cerberus's processors whirred quietly as the robot made its rounds about the ghoul lobby. Inside The Ninth Circle, Charon leaned against the wall and narrowed his eyes at nothing at all.

_Bored. Bored bored bored. So bored. _the ghoul groaned mentally. There hadn't been a single rowdy outburst in almost a week. After he had tossed Patches out, there had hardly been a voice in the place that was over a whisper. The dim drone of conversation threatened to put Charon to sleep.

A low growl of discontent rumbled through his chest. The sparse patrons cast nervous glances in the seven foot tall ghoul's direction, all used to his somewhat volatile nature. But they knew they were safe as long as Ahzrukhal didn't give him the go-ahead.

The door to the lobby creaked open, and a bundled-up figure slipped in. Ahzrukhal perked up noticeably, a smile creasing the leathery remainder of his facial skin.

"Well well, lookee here! We got us a smoothskin I've never seen before." Ahzrukhal rasped. "Welcome to The Ninth Circle, stranger. Take a seat and tell ol' Ahzrukhal your problems."

"I've heard quite a bit about you, Mr. Ahzrukhal." the stranger murmured. "What I need right now though, is vodka." He began rummaging in the large rucksack that had been slung across his back. "I have caps, of course. But I also have a few bottles of whiskey I'll gladly let you take off my hands."

Charon's eyebrows rose. _Easy there smoothskin._

"This is good stuff. Where have you been scavenging, stranger?" Ahzrukhal wheezed, holding one of the bottles to the light.

The stranger shot the ghoul a quick grin from under the wide brim of his hat, pulling down a thick bandanna to do so. "That's for me to know and you to never figure out."

Ahzrukhal harrumphed, pouring the stranger his preferred poison as the man rebuckled his rucksack.

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**AN:** First ever Fallout story, chapters will be short, but fast updates. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2: Go-Ahead

The stranger was in The Ninth Circle every night for almost two weeks. He had a quiet way about him, and never seemed to take his hat or bandanna off. Every evening he came in with another few bottles of various finer-grade liquors to trade for the bottle of vodka that he would nurse for several hours as he swapped tales with the residents of Underworld.

Charon was always there, ever constant in his guard. The stranger seemed keen on taking a seat at the table closest to the glowering ghoul, but never actually attempted to converse with him. He didn't even really acknowledge his presence.

Until tonight, that is.

Charon caught a cautious brown-eyed look from under that wide-brimmed hat. The smoothskin quickly looked away, hauling his bandanna up and jamming his hat lower.

"Does he ever let you sit?"

Charon shifted almost imperceptibly. _A question. One that I can't answer._ "Talk to Ahzrukhal."

The man grumbled into his vodka. "How about I fuckin' don't. That guy makes my skin crawl, and it _isn't_ because of his looks."

Charon's arms flexed across his chest with the pent-up energy of agreeing whole-heartedly with the stranger.

"So he doesn't let you talk, either. Freely, anyway."

Charon grunted.

"M' name's Spoon. I know yours is Charon. _He_ told me. He also mentioned that you're under some sort of contract. Is that right, or is it just a bunch of shit?" the stranger queried softly, swishing the vodka around in his battered mug.

Charon's eyes narrowed. _That fucking prick needs to be more careful about who he tells about this shit. I don't feel the need to take on a smoothskin army in his defense._ The ghoul grunted again, barely inclining his head in confirmation.

"Strange. Alright then. One more question, and then I promise I'll be off to Carol's for the night." the stranger leaned forward in an almost conspiratorial manner, pushing his hat back a little so he could make eye contact with Charon. "Are you content here? Is this...is this what you want?" he asked, quiet enough that Charon could have ignored him.

Charon abruptly felt like the room was too small, like everyone was watching them. He swallowed hard, tightening his arms across his chest.

Ahzrukhal, it seemed, had finally picked up on the discomfort of his 'employee', and his voice rang out across the bar. "Charon! Get this waste out of here."

Charon's head snapped up, noting Ahzrukhal's angry look as the ghoul pointed to Patches. The poor ghoul, already falling apart and heavily inebriated, couldn't even run as with three easy strides Charon was on him. Charon grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, seething inwardly at the obvious show Ahzrukhal was putting on for the smoothskin. The bartender probably would dub it, "displaying Charon's prowess", or some other equally sanctimonious bullshit. In The Ninth Circle Charon was both warning and promise, and Ahzrukhal never missed a chance to display the power he held.

Charon hadn't noticed that the stranger (_Spoon?_) had followed him, until he had deposited Patches in front of The Chop Shop and turned to go back to the bar. He started as he almost ran over the diminutive smoothskin.

"Easy big fella'. You didn't answer my question exactly. But..." Spoon glanced down at Patchwork, "I think I already know your answer."

Charon snarled, shoving the stranger aside with a clipped, "Talk to Ahzrukhal." A hand caught his arm though, stopping the ghoul in his tracks. The hand seemed cold to Charon's constantly fever-hot skin, and it jolted him a little. Never mind the fact that the smoothskin was touching him in the first place.

But all Spoon did was sigh, somewhat heavily, as he patted Charon's arm. "Give me a week." he muttered, tilting his hat back again to look at Charon. The ghoul was highly confused, to say the least. Spoon headed off to his room, and Charon returned to his corner, brain whirling with what the smoothskin might have meant.

He didn't dare to get excited, oh no. Too many hands had been on his contract. Sometimes within minutes of each other. He snorted, ignoring what felt like little electrical jolts running through his body.

_Not excited, and **certainly** not holding my breath._


	3. Chapter 3: Scraps

Spoon was gone in the morning, payment for his bed bundled in a ragged square of cloth under Carol's pillow. Winthrop mentioned hopefully that the smoothskin might bring him some scrap metal to fix the rattling vents. He was getting too stiff to scavenge it himself.

Charon had rolled his eyes at that. _That smoothskin doesn't owe you jack, old man._ As much as he didn't want to hope, Charon found himself counting the days until the end of the week. He stood a little straighter every time the door creaked open, hating the sickening drop in his stomach when it was just another ghoul here for their fix.

A week passed. Then two more days. On the eleventh day, Spoon had returned. He seemed to be in a bad way, according to the bar patrons. The story went that he had run into some Talon Company undesirables that had it out for him, and it was only through Willow's sharpshooting that he managed to escape.

Yet as the day drew to a close, that familiar figure darkened the doorway to The Ninth Circle. He was instantly swarmed by excited ghouls, clamoring to hear his tale. He brushed them off though, murmuring that he needed a drink before embarking on his story.

He threw caps on the bar, and Ahzrukhal tossed a bottle of vodka his way. Spoon tore the cap off and started drinking straight from the bottle, forgoing his usual chipped mug.

"Alright, alright. Settle down. First, I need to know where Carol is. She ain't at her place." Spoon finally said.

"She headed over to Snowflake for her usual skinning." one of the ghouls offered, giggling at her own choice of words. Spoon nodded his thanks.

"Good. As far as my story goes, ain't much to tell. I'll be on my way tomorrow. Now that I've got the Talons on my tail, I don't want anyone else getting hurt." His eyes strayed to Charon, and he slid off his stool, nodding his thanks to Ahzrukhal for the vodka. "I'll be back later. I have to go thank Willow, and I still have a whole bunch of goodies for Tulip. Oh! And Winthrop's scrap." he grinned, giving his pack a shake so everyone could hear the heavy _clank_ of the metal.

A few of the patrons followed him out, no doubt interested in whatever he had to barter to Tulip.

Charon sighed, maybe a little louder than necessary as he relaxed against the wall again. He should have known that the smoothskin would forget him. They always did.


	4. Chapter 4: Acquisition

Spoon was back within the hour, his shoulders somewhat tense as he took his customary table near Charon. "Sorry I'm late."

Charon thought his head might fall clean off his shoulders if this smoothskin kept surprising him. Spoon grinned up at him suddenly, face much paler under its layers of grime than Charon remembered. "Those Talon fuckers followed me for a few days. I was starting to get worried. I picked most of 'em off in the metros, but it was a little touch and go between them and the Big Greens across the way. Lucky for me Willow's a crack shot, otherwise I'd have been mincemeat."

Charon remained silent. Spoon looked back down at his bottle, seeming deep in thought. "You're pissed at me, ain't you. I figured you would be. I really am sorry I'm a couple days behind. I'm horrible at schedules and shit. Not my strong point. But," he continued, reaching into his rucksack and beginning to forage around. "I can make it up to you if you can hang on for a few more minutes."

Charon's brow furrowed as Spoon pulled two good-sized bundles out of his bag. The ghoul's eyes widened when he heard the unmistakable sound of caps _clink_ing against each other after Spoon rose and slung his rucksack back over his shoulder.

Spoon sauntered over to the bar, and leaned in close to Ahzrukhal. Charon strained his ears, and cursed inwardly when he couldn't hear a thing. Spoon spoke for several minutes in low tones, seeming passionate about whatever the fuck he was saying as he used his hands to illustrate his points. Charon's body jolted when Ahzrukhal reached out a hand and ran it down the side of the smoothskin's face, and the large ghoul found himself fighting a wave of nausea, coughing and looking away.

Spoon gestured to Charon abruptly, making Ahzrukhal draw his hand back, and the bouncer did his best to appear bored and like he wasn't paying attention as Spoon handed over one of his bundles of caps.

Ahzrukhal made a show of slowly counting the caps, making piles of fifty as Spoon looked on. The bartending ghoul finally nodded after what seemed like an eternity, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out...something. Spoon took whatever it was, and carefully tucked it away into his own jacket. Charon forced down a growl at how Ahzrukhal's fingers lingered on the smoothskin's for far too long.

The bouncer hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until Spoon casually sat back down and he released it all in a quiet _whoosh_.

"Well big guy...Charon, that is, how would you like to go on an adventure?" Spoon's smile was genuine this time, not some cheesy showman's grin as he showed the ghoul the worn piece of paper he had gotten. Charon's breath caught in his throat, and it was with shaking legs that he lowered himself into the chair next to Spoon.

Spoon murmured something sympathetic, pointing towards his bottle of vodka with an unspoken _go ahead_. Charon took a healthy gulp, his eyes watering at the strength of the stuff.

"How did you manage to get my contract?" he finally said, his voice coarser than usual from disuse.

Spoon looked worried. "I bought it, of course. He wanted me to kill Greta, y'know. But I couldn't. She's not the easiest person to be around, but nobody fucking is anymore. I refused that, so he asked for two thousand caps. I figured he probably thought I wouldn't be able to come up with 'em. I could, I just needed time to scavenge. I had to go a little more...out of the way than usual." Spoon leaned back in his chair. "I got a little over two thousand once I traded most of my junk in Rivet City. I figured he might be greedy enough to take a thousand though, if he got to see it upfront. I had the other thousand just in case. And well, the rest is history."

"That rat bastard got my contract for free and he just fleeced the shit out of you because you're too nice to kill his competition." Charon snarled. "I'll go over the specifics of the contract with you in just a minute. Right now, I must take care of something." He shoved his chair back, and it was with measured steps that he made his way to the bar.

The room hushed and Ahzrukhal looked up from his caps, sensing something was amiss. "Ah, Charon!Have you come to say goodbye?" he rasped, that insufferably sleazy smile on his face.

"_Yes_." Charon spat, whipping the combat shotgun off his back and aiming down the sights. Ahzrukhal's face froze in a mask of almost comical shock as Charon blew his body apart with two cool trigger pulls. The bartender was dead before he hit the ground. Some of his blood had splattered across Charon's face, and Charon quickly wiped it off. The idea of that evil man's blood on his skin made him queasy. He spat on the corpse, then turned on his heel as people seemed to realize what had just happened.

"Oh my word!"

"He shot Ahzrukhal!"

"He's gone feral!"

The Ninth Circle was empty in less than five minutes. The only people left were the smoothskin, Charon himself, and whatever remained of Ahzrukhal.

Charon came and sat back down next to Spoon, noting with a flash of amusement that the smoothskin seemed in shock. "Ahzrukhal was an evil bastard. So long as he held my contract, I was honor-bound to do as he commanded. But now, you are my employer, and I will serve you, for good or ill."

"Uh, you probably shouldn't have done that." Spoon managed to choke out. Charon shrugged, flexing long-unused muscles with a sigh of satisfaction. The adrenaline felt _wonderful_. And the knowledge that Ahzrukhal would never touch or order him around again was almost its own reward.

"No seriously, what if everyone thinks I ordered you to do that? They'll kill me!" Spoon continued, not noticing how Charon's eyes darkened.

"No one will lay a hand on you. Everyone here tonight was already eavesdropping on us. They all knew I was unhappy, but there was nothing any of them could do. Caps are scarce in Underworld, especially when you have your own addictions to manage." Charon grumbled. "They'll view it as an act of mercy that you freed me from him."

"O...okay. If you're sure. Uh. I'm paid up at Carol's for the night, so you can come with me. Then tomorrow I've got to head out. Do you want to come with me, or do you have other stuff to do?" Spoon asked.

Charon snorted. "You don't seem to understand how this works, Master. I am bound to you. You are my employer. And until you see fit to foist me off on someone, or someone offers you the right amount of caps, or someone somehow manages to get past me and blow your brains out, I will follow you."

"Oh." Spoon said weakly. "I thought that if I gave you your contract, you'd be free."

"No. But it was kind of you to think that you would free me after paying that many caps." Charon hesitated, then carried on. "I know the only things you've seen me do don't exactly strike you as fine displays of my skills. But I swear on my life, I will make my services worth your kindness."

"Alright then." Spoon stuck his hand out, cheerily ignoring how Charon flinched at the speed of the action. "Let's shake on it, eh big guy?"

Charon stared down at the hand, confusion plain on his face. "Shake? Equals shake, and I am not your equal."

Spoon made an exasperated face, tangling his fingers with the tall ghoul's and making a shaking motion. "If you're gonna' play it like that, I order you not to call me Master. Shit's fucked up."

"What should I call you then?" Charon asked.

Spoon shrugged. "Whatever the fuck you want. Doesn't matter to me. If you're gonna be stuck with me for a while, you might as well call me something you like. Everyone else calls me Spoon though."

"Very well, Spoon."

"Let's get to bed, huh?" Spoon jerked his head towards the door. "I dunno about you, but it's late as shit and I am _exhausted_." He extended a hand to his new companion, that genuine smile back again as he helped the ghoul up.

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**AN:** Two chapters in one day. Enjoy! Thank you for the review and the follow MistressMira! I hope I don't let you down! :)


	5. Chapter 5: Interlude

Carol was wearing a different dress. That was the first thing Charon realized when he took a cautious step into Carol's Place. It wasn't new. Nothing was new in this world that they lived in. But it was new to her.

It was a gentle shade of purple. It made her look radiant.

Spoon smiled tiredly at the woman. "It suits you! Couldn't wait to put it on, eh?" he jibed with a wink.

"Oh quiet, you. It's been so long since I wore something different." the ghoul hushed him, looking worriedly up at Charon. "What's he doing with you, dear? I've heard a few rumors. Something happened to Ahzrukhal?"

"I bought his contract. Charon got...uh, really happy about it. So happy he shot Ahzrukhal in the face." Spoon mumbled, seeming embarrassed.

Carol sucked in a breath. "So he's dead?"

Spoon nodded. "Yeah. Originally Ahzrukhal wanted me to kill Greta for the contract, but I worked out another deal."

Carol's eyes welled up. "Not my Greta."

"I don't doubt it." Charon growled. "You and yours were his only competition. If I hadn't killed the bastard, he would have just gotten some other prick to do it."

"Language, dear." Carol said absently, hugging Spoon tight.

The man yelped, and Carol quickly let go. "I'm so sorry dear! I forgot." she said with a frown.

"I'll be okay, just a little tender still. No worries." Spoon grimaced. "Is it alright if Charon stays here with me?"

"Of course sweetheart. Are you two hungry? I can see if I have some Cram left over that isn't as purple as this lovely dress." Carol said with a dry chuckle.

Spoon nodded, thanking Carol for letting them stay even after what had happened. Carol brushed him off though, smiling and saying that he was too kind for the Wastes.


	6. Chapter 6: Metropolitan

They left at dawn the next morning.

Charon hadn't done much sleeping, feeling excitement race through him most of the night. He had taken apart his shotgun, cleaned, and reassembled it at least six times before Greta snapped at him to cut it out. Not even that could dampen his spirits though. He laid awake for hours, hoping against hope that he might have finally gotten lucky, and that this employer wouldn't see him as nothing but a weapon.

Spoon had awoken without fail, and they were ready to go in ten minutes, Spoon whispering a promise that they'd eat breakfast once they got through the metros.

Charon had to keep a shit-eating grin off his face as they trekked out through the lobby and into the courtyard. Willow saw the pair and waved from her post. Spoon tossed her a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of good whiskey as "another thank you for saving my ass!"

She caught them and saluted as they ducked into the metros, successfully avoiding the super mutants that camped just beyond. Going through the metro was relatively easy. Only a few feral ghouls arose, snapping, and Charon made quick work of them.

Spoon got lost, admitting his inability to tell directions underground. Luckily they soon stumbled across the exit and emerged unscathed.

Spoon grinned up at Charon, tilting his hat back. "What say you to some breakfast big guy?"

Charon frowned, looking around. "Permission to speak freely?"

Spoon's grin wavered. "Permission? Shit man, you're not a slave. I'm not going to demand you to be silent now that we're not around your friends. Granted!"

"I would advise preparing food perhaps behind that hill. So we are not out in the open." Charon pointed towards the hill in question, his face unreadable.

Spoon agreed, grin firmly back in place as he jogged to the hill and promptly tumbled over the side, not expecting the loose shale that coated the top. Charon rolled his eyes.

"You alright kid?" he called, looking over the top of the hill.

"Never better! Now, how about you dig me out."


	7. Chapter 7: Robo-Butler

They made it to Megaton around three o' clock in the afternoon. Spoon explained that Megaton was his sort of, "home base". The sheriff of the town had given him a house when he deactivated the bomb in the center of the complex, and this was where he always came when he needed a little time off.

"Only for a few days, so I can heal." Spoon murmured, his voice thick with exhaustion, almost like he was drunk. "And then I'll give you that adventure I promised, alright?"

Charon nodded absently, taking in the sights of the odd little town. Residents looked at him with fear or barely-concealed disgust. He heard several mutters of "_fucking shuffler_" as he strode along behind Spoon. Charon growled low in his throat, and was surprised to see Spoon flip off the general vicinity of where the mutters came from.

"He's a human being, just like all of you. It ain't his fault he's got balls made out of lead and he survived the radiation." Spoon grunted. "Eat shit."

Charon resisted the urge to grin in surprise, maintaining a bored expression as they climbed the sheer steps to Spoon's abode. Spoon unlocked the door and hollered, "Wadsworth! I have a guest, don't shoot!"

"Certainly madam! May I suggest you get medical attention as soon as possible? Scans indicate you are injured." said the armed-to-the-proverbial-teeth robot, hovering in what Charon assumed was the living room.

Spoon waved it off, telling Charon to follow him upstairs. "You can have the spare room, Charon. This house is too big for me anyway."

"Why'd the robot say 'madam'?" Charon asked, confused.

Spoon paused, hand pointing to where Charon assumed the spare room was. "His wiring is a little...screwy," the smaller man said slowly. "He was Moira's before he was mine, and she's as loony as they come. He won't admit it though! No matter what I do, the ol' bucket of bolts won't let me fix him. He's more stubborn than a thirsty Bramin an' half as useful." Spoon finished with a grin.

Charon caught his own smile before it could form as he listened to the robot sputter indignantly about how _my_ _protocol is flawless_ and _it's not __**my**__ fault that Moira woman played with my innards, madam!_

Spoon hushed the robot. "It's okay Wads. You're still the best robot ever. I wouldn't trade you for all Moriarty's caps." Then, he looked at Charon. "You tired?"

Charon shook his head.

Spoon's grin was something the ghoul was going to have to get used to. The scavenger's teeth were crooked, and one of them was chipped. But the way that it lit up his whole face seemed to compensate for it. "Let's head down to Moriarty's. There's someone who I think wants to see us."

Charon raised an eyebrow_. Us?_

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**AN: **Three updates this evening! Thanks again to MistressMira, very kind of you :)


	8. Chapter 8: Snag

Gob looked up from wiping out one of the shot glasses at the sound of the door opening. "_Spoon!_" the cry was gleeful as he ran around the bar and caught his friend in a massive bear-hug. Spoon grunted, patting Gob on the back as best as he could.

"Heya Gob. How are you? Where's Nova?" he choked out. Gob released Spoon as (presumably) Nova sauntered up beside him.

"Hi handsome. How was the trip?" the woman purred.

Spoon smiled. "I missed the hell out of you guys! And look, I brought a friend back with me." he said, gesturing upwards towards Charon.

Gob hadn't even noticed the ghoul filling the doorway, so intent was he on Spoon. Charon watched whatever color that had been left in Gob's face rapidly drain out as the ghoul took a step back.

"Ch-Charon." Gob gulped. Charon inclined his head. "Uh, h-how's Ahzrukhal?"

"Dead." Charon said shortly. Gob's mouth formed an 'o' as he put two and two together, and he cautiously extended a hand. Charon shook it after a moment.

"Spoon'll take good care of you Charon. He ain't like Ahzrukhal, or most smoothskins." Gob whispered. "He's been real good to me. He's got Moriarty scared to hit me or Nova when he's around."

Charon abruptly noticed the discolored patches on Gob's face that had nothing to do with radiation, and a snarl fought in his throat.

Gob, seeing the larger ghoul's look turn dark, hastily explained. "If he hits me, he doesn't hit Nova. And I can take a beating better than her. She loses caps if she's bruised up. Spoon wanted to buy me from Moriarty, but then that would leave Nova alone. I can't do that. Not to her." the ghoul mumbled, seeming miserable.

Charon looked over to where Spoon was talking to Nova, the scavenger animatedly appearing to re-enact some of the journey to Underworld. Nova was smiling at the young man, her eyes sad as she listened to the wild tale he was telling. Charon snorted, looking back to Gob.

"You need to get her out of here." Charon growled. "You need to grow a fucking backbone, some balls, or both, and get her out of here. Being trapped in a bar for eternity is the last fucking thing you want. Trust me."

And with that, he went to go lean against the wall beside Spoon, his eyes scanning the bar for potential threats. He missed the look of resolve that skittered across Gob's face for a moment before the ghoul sighed and slunk back behind the bar.

"Well, if it ain't the sanctified Wasteland rat himself!" A thick Irish brogue interrupted Spoon's excited story, and the scavenger's face hardened as he turned towards the owner of the voice.

"Moriarty." Spoon acknowledged him quietly.

"Talkin' to the whore's gonna' cost you, boy." Moriarty said, a smirk ruining his features thoroughly.

Spoon scoffed. "Talking to _you_ is what's costing me, you old bastard." He reached a hand into his coat.

Moriarty's eyes narrowed, and the man's hand went to the gun at his side. "No tricks now, rat. Otherwise I'll have to sic Jericho on you again."

Charon snarled at him, pleased when the bar owner jerked at the sound.

Spoon was unconcerned, however, having merely been grabbing a few caps out of his pocket to flick at Moriarty's face. "You know as well as I do that your old raider buddy scares me about as much as a box of Sugar Bombs, _Morty_. Although I am liking the new setup you've got here, what with me paying to talk to the lady." Spoon grinned in a rather nasty manner, showing all of his teeth. "I did always say I got pleasure out of hearing her voice."

Moriarty was a tad flustered at that, but Charon noticed he wasn't above picking up the caps before he gritted out, "You have five minutes. Then, you and your _shuffler _had best get the hell out of my bar," and stormed off.

The tall ghoul watched as he stopped next to a grungy-looking man for a few moments before he snapped at Gob for being a '_lazy no-good shiftless rotface_'. Charon's blood boiled at that. He understood that the insult had been meant for _him_. '_Good-for-nothing smoothskin._' he grumbled inwardly, watching as Gob's face fell and the ghoul began to wipe down the bar counter.

"Thanks sweetheart. You know you didn't have to do that though, right?" Nova murmured, twining her fingers in Spoon's and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"No worries." Spoon replied, flushing a little bit at the kiss. "Once Moriarty hits the hay, tell Gob that Carol loves him very much, and is glad to hear that he's safe." He jerked his head at the door. "I think me and Charon should probably head to The Brass Lantern for the rest of our evening. If shit happens though, just stick your head out the door and holler. I know you can." He winked.

Nova laughed at that. "Sugar, you're the _only_ one I'll ever holler for. When will you take me up on my offer?"

"I can't. It isn't fair to Gob." Spoon protested as Nova's hands began to wander. "Hey, no c'mon, listen to me. It isn't right." Spoon caught both of Nova's wrists, pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles. "He's been here so long, and he takes a lot of Moriarty's shit so you don't have to. I know you want to bang the shit out of him. Y'all are gonna' have to get creative. After all, I can't solve _all_ your problems." he chuckled.

Nova nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "Sorry sweetheart. I got a little carried away. Moriarty's been refusing me to everyone but Jericho and it's startin' to grate on my nerves."

Charon was surprised at the growl that Spoon let escape, the scavenger gritting out, "I hate that prick. Was he rough with you?"

"Nowhere near rough enough sugar." Nova quipped, stepping away lightly. Spoon grumbled something to himself as she returned to her corner, turning on his heel and stomping to the door.

"C'mon Charon, we're outta' this joint. It sucks that my best friends work in this radroach-infested shit hole." he said angrily, waiting until Charon was through the door to slam it shut. "That skeevy motherfucker." Spoon seethed, jamming his hands into his pockets as he walked.

"You care too much, Spoon." Charon observed, unprepared for how quickly Spoon turned around.

"I _know_ that, but shit like that pisses me right the fuck off. It pissed me off with _you_, it pisses me off with _them_. At least you I could help. Sort of. A little bit. Am I helping?" Spoon's anger seemed to deflate, the question hanging in the air between them. Charon wasn't sure if it was rhetorical. "Or...or am I just making it worse for you when someone like Moriarty or Ahzrukhal gets ahold of your contract again? Am I making their lives a royal fucking mess by pissing Moriarty off? I don't know. But...but I can't just sit on my hands while you stand in a goddamn corner day in and day out, and I _certainly_ can't stand people like fucking _Moriarty_ having control over anyone." Spoon growled.

Charon held up his hands, surrendering. "You have your reasons." was all he said as Spoon jerked open the door of The Brass Lantern.

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**AN:** Apologies on how long this one took me. Enjoy it all the same, my friends!


	9. Chapter 9: Preparations

"Welcome home madam! I take it your evening went well?"

"Fuckin' peachy, you whirring-servo scrap pile." Spoon said cheerily, tossing his long duster coat on a peg by the door. "I'm expectin' a visit from Jericho though, so you should probably barricade yourself in my room, Wads."

"Ugh, that revolting man. I assure you, if I had a stomach, I would vomit." The robot hurriedly floated up the stairs to Spoon's room, and the shifting of furniture was heard.

Spoon winked at Charon, taking off his hat and hanging it next to the duster. "He's a good butler, but a _ferocious_ coward. Take a seat. This could be a long night."

Charon lowered himself into a sufficiently battered-looking armchair, holding his shotgun across his knees. "You expect an attack?"

Spoon nodded, face devoid of mirth as he sat in a chair opposite Charon. "You'd think he's stop bein' so predictable. But he's never been bright." he murmured, looking down the barrel of his hunting rifle and 'tsk'ing quietly. "Hopefully if I douse all the lights, he'll think I've headed to bed early, and he'll bust in here."

"You cannot make the first strike?" Charon asked incredulously.

Spoon shook his head. "Nah. They're a-okay with self defense, but as soon as you start instigating it's your own problem."

Charon sighed, placing his shotgun on the floor and standing. He flexed his arms out in a wide, languid stretch, rotated his neck, and then cracked his knuckles. "Alright."


	10. Chapter 10: Switch

It took a little over an hour. Charon was disappointed in Jericho's lack of patience. From the sound of it, the man had broken six bobby pins trying to get through the front door. And when the door finally creaked open, Jericho had found himself face-to-face with seven feet of snarling ghoul, and the barrel of a shotgun pressed to his throat.

"Shit." he rasped out, dropping the knife that had been in his hand.

"Well, you are what you eat." Spoon said as he meandered around Charon to speak to Jericho. "I don't believe I've introduced you two. Jericho, meet my partner Charon. Charon, Jericho."

Charon had to fight a smile at the word. _Partner_. _Not 'employee', not 'slave'. Partner. Equal._

"I was just comin' over to talk-" Jericho began.

"Yeah, I usually bring my knife to a talk too. You and I must share a brain, Jericho." Spoon said seriously. "Nah, we know why you're here. And I don't really give a flying fuck. You've got three seconds to get the fuck off my property before I skin you. And this time, it won't just be a warning patch off your elbow."

Jericho paled as Charon jabbed the shotgun in his chest, forcing him to stumble back a step. "One." Spoon said.

The ex-raider ducked under Charon's gun and lunged for Spoon, sweeping his knife off the floor in a single fluid motion and going to plunge it in Spoon's chest. "_You bastard!_"

* * *

Spoon raised her rifle, but she was unprepared. She hadn't expected that Jericho would actually snap this time. She saw the knife arc through the air towards her, knowing that at best she might be able to turn herself enough to land it in her shoulder or arm instead of her chest.

She had underestimated the ghoul's reflexes. Charon whirled, in sync with Jericho's motions, dropped his shotgun, and slammed his elbow into Jericho's collarbone. The force of the blow knocked Jericho flat, the older man making a small choking sound.

Spoon staggered a little bit, almost dropping her rifle. _He's fast!_

"Are you alright? Look at me. _Look at me._" Charon caught her arm, looking her over worriedly. He sighed, seeming relieved. "Good."

"W..._wow_." Spoon managed.

Charon paused mid-kicking-Jericho-out-the-door, brow furrowed. "What?" he asked.

"You're fast as fuck!" Spoon blurted out.

The corner of Charon's mouth twitched upwards for a second. "It isn't _that_ difficult to be quicker than an old bag of bones like _him_." he grumbled dismissively, finishing his quest to get Jericho out of the house and closing the door. "Do you want me to kill him?"

"No, no! Just...uh. Just leave him out there. He'll come to in a little bit then probably limp to Doc Church to whine." Spoon grinned. "You're gonna' have to teach me that move."

Charon inclined his head. "If you wish to learn it, I will teach you."

"Did he hurt _you_ at all?" Spoon asked as Charon made a show of dusting himself off.

"No, I'm alright." The ghoul flexed again, making Spoon's mouth go dry. "I'm usually faster though. Apologies. I'm out of practice."

"No, no! You were great. It's not your fault you've been stuck in a corner for a decade." Spoon assured him, blushing a little.

Charon harrumphed. "Try a century." He seemed pleased at the praise though, rubbing the back of his neck.

Spoon sat back down in her chair, her shaking limbs betraying her. She pretended to be looking over her rifle as Charon shifted from foot to foot.

"Did...did you mean what you said earlier?" the ghoul finally asked quietly. Spoon looked up at him, slightly confused. He hesitated, then continued. "I mean...when you said I was your partner. Did you mean that or was that just to fuck with him?"

Spoon's heart ached. _How many people have done this to him?_

Charon, taking her silence for disapproval, began to back away warily. "I'm sorry, I know it's not my place to question anything-"

"No, nothing like that. You just caught me off guard." Spoon smiled kindly up at the ghoul. "Of course you're my partner, big guy. I've barely traveled with you for a day and I'm already glad you're around. Thank you."

* * *

**AN:** There we are! A little bitty chapter and then something a bit more substantial. I hope the 'viewpoint switch' wasn't confusing for anyone. Many thanks for the reviews (DrkBeauty and an account-less reader!) as well as the favorites and follow. Much appreciated! :)


	11. Chapter 11: Hungry

_He is...grateful for me? He is happy I am around?_ Charon fidgeted in the armchair, thoughts roiling in his brain. He had volunteered to stay downstairs and guard against attack while Spoon slept. The young man had told him it wouldn't be necessary, but Charon insisted so he finally caved. And now Charon was alone with his thoughts.

_What a day this has been,_ he mused, eyes on the door as his hands rested on his shotgun. _Yesterday morning I was nothing but a piece of furniture, a weapon. A useful weapon, but a weapon nonetheless. And now_...

His brow furrowed. _I am needed. I am helpful. I am...appreciated. And I have not been ordered to be so. I have worked on my own volition. I have done nothing that I did not want to do. How confusing._ Charon sighed, settling down farther into the chair and rubbing his eyes. _I'll close them for just a minute. I didn't sleep at all yesterday because of how excited I was. Just a minute won't hurt..._

* * *

Spoon crept down the stairs in the wan light of morning. She assumed Jericho hadn't returned. She hadn't been awoken by anything, anyway. Her eyes landed on Charon in his chair, shotgun across his knees, and she froze. _God, he's even big when he's sitting, _she marveled, tiptoeing past his slumbering form to the kitchen, where she quietly began to make breakfast.

_He must have been exhausted. I imagine protecting Ahzrukhal from threats was a twenty-four/seven job. _she mused, tearing open a box of Dandy Boy apples and dropping the shriveled-up fruit slices into a skillet, where they began to sizzle quietly. A box of Cram was next, chunks of the neon-pink meat finding their way in between the dried apples to begin to brown. Spoon tossed the ingredients around in the pan, stirring them with a ruined fork.

She grabbed two plates from the shelf next to the battered tabletop stove once she was satisfied with the golden-orange shade the Cram had taken on, and she began to scoop her improvised breakfast carefully out of the pan. _Can't waste any. A big guy like him must eat a lot!_she reasoned with a smile to herself. Spoon glanced over, pleased to see that Charon was still sound asleep.

Her eyes softened. _I hope we get along okay._

She balanced one plate in the crook of her elbow, and another in her hand as she went to go wake Charon. Carefully, knowing how jumpy people could be if awoken roughly in a strange environment, she put a hand on his arm and squeezed, quietly saying, "Charon. Breakfast?"

His eyes flew open and he bolted upright, shotgun cocked and pressed against her chest in a millisecond. Spoon gulped, steadying her plates as Charon narrowed his eyes at her. Five of the longest seconds in the history of mankind passed.

"How long was I asleep for?" the ghoul finally growled.

Spoon puffed out her cheeks, squinting while she thought. Very much aware of the cold metal nestling in her chest. "I'd say maybe two...three hours? Maybe?" she replied weakly.

Charon snorted, lowering his shotgun. "Well I imagine if you were going to punish me for my lax watchkeeping, you wouldn't have woken me up with breakfast. I assume that's what you're doing?" he queried, eyebrow raised.

Spoon nodded, slightly relieved as Charon took the proffered plate with a murmur of thanks.

She perched on the arm of the armchair as he sat back down, curious. "Why would I punish you for being tired? Megaton's a safe enough place, and I told you, you didn't _have_ to keep watch."

"I have been punished for more minor things." Charon said shortly.

Spoon '_ohh_'ed quietly, watching as Charon began to eat voraciously. "Whoa, slow down there cowboy. Don't choke. When was the last time you had a real meal?" she asked, wondering if Ahzrukhal had kept him hungry to make him more irritable. Like a dog.

Charon shrugged. "Ahzrukhal was not in the habit of feeding me. Sometimes Carol was able to intercept me on my way back from leaving Patches with Barrows to give me a little something, but mostly I survived on scraps from the day's leftovers." His eyes looked distant. "Barrows would give me irradiated water when he could. Ahzrukhal had apparently been told, upon his acquiring of my contract, that I didn't need to fucking eat." Charon stared down at his plate, "I was a very good bodyguard despite the hunger."

Spoon frowned, beginning to shuffle some of her breakfast onto Charon's plate. Charon's head snapped up. "What are y-"

"No, shut up. You can't tell me that kind of shit and expect me not to be sympathetic." Spoon grumbled, doing her damnedest to hide the tremor in her voice. "You can eat as much as you can hold. And from now on, if you're hungry or thirsty or tired, please tell me?"

"Is that an order?" Charon asked, seeming to question out of confusion more than rebellion.

Spoon shook her head. "It's a request. One that you can ignore even, if you want. It's just that...well, if you're gonna' be my partner, you need to tell me when you're half-dead so I don't have to carry your ass out of someplace." she said with a rueful grin. "I imagine you understand partners work better together if they know each others strengths and weaknesses. Like you know how I get very lost underground. And I know you get appropriately hungry for your size."

Charon opened his mouth, then closed it. "I...thank you." he mumbled, rubbing his face tiredly and then settling in to his second helping.

Spoon smiled when he wasn't looking, finishing her breakfast and going to put her plate in the washbasin. _You're welcome_.

* * *

**AN:** Enjoy! Many thanks to chibifunfun for the follow, welcome aboard! The rest of you, stay safe! Especially if anyone is near Oklahoma :( heard there's a bit of a 'nado problem out there.


	12. Chapter 12: Adventure

A few weeks passed, the two falling into an easy routine of venturing out every day to scavenge and wipe out pockets of Raiders. Charon relished the combat, and Spoon enjoyed finding new places to loot.

The day had been going fairly normal. Charon and Spoon had set out to eradicate a Raider camp located on an overpass near Vault 101. Charon _had_ noticed the oddly-wide berth Spoon took around the Vault, but he figured it was just a precaution. God only knows what lived in that spawnhole. Couldn't be anything human.

They had just been walking along, minding their own business, when a Raider scout felt the need to lob a projectile at the ghoul with a howl of "_Rotfaaaaaaaaaace!_"

"Watch out!" Spoon yelled, whipping his rifle up and firing off a shot as something '_plink_'ed against Charon's armor_._

Charon looked down, brow furrowed. _Grenade! _Hastily the ghoul kicked it away, watching it take a chunk out of the dirt and rock as it exploded. Bullets began to pepper the dust around the partners, forcing them to zigzag in an effort to confuse the Raiders.

In the midst of the chaos, Charon lost sight of Spoon. But as he whirled, pumping Raiders full of shotgun blasts and bellowing swears, a high scream of pain cut through the haze. Charon's eyes widened.

_Spoon!_

The ghoul slammed the butt of his shotgun into a Raider's skull, yelling, "_Spoon! Where are you?_"

* * *

"_Charon!_"

She was crying already, eyes blurred with tears as she held her shoulder. A well-placed bullet had torn clean through it, leaving her to wield her trusty rifle clumsily at best. She shuffled out of her pack and shifted the gun to her left hand, gritting her teeth as she braced it against her side and fired it point blank into a Raider's face.

"Take that, ya' bastard!" she yelled. Hope surged through her as she managed to pick off a few more Raiders in her current condition. _I might be okay here-_

A fist connected with the side of her head, and even as consciousness ebbed away she swore at herself for not seeing the enemy sneak up on her. _Sloppy_..._Dad would have been disappointed..._

* * *

**AN:** Second part up shortly!


	13. Chapter 13: Capture

Charon's heart leaped into his throat as he saw a small figure drop hard to a blow to the head. "Spoon!"

In his moment of distraction, a gun rammed into the small of his back, staggering the ghoul. Another barrel pressed against his neck, and still another dug into his ribs. Charon grunted as he was forced to his knees.

The Raider leader looked somewhat...non-threatening. His sparse hair had been greased up into what once resembled a Mowhawk, and his pistol seemed to be in desperate need of repair.

_Not Slavers, then. Maybe working under a Slaver faction._ Charon mused as he was scrutinized like a piece of meat.

"Fuck it. Take 'im and the tiny one. We ain't seen nothin' for weeks now. If anythin' we can sell him off. He's a huge fucker." the Raider finally said. "You pull anythin' with me, and I'll blow that precious boy's brains clear out, y' get me?" This last part was addressed to Charon, who showed his teeth in a snarl. "Ooo, he's feisty. Harold, pick up the ol' shuffler's gun. It's a nice piece, if a little outdated."

Charon's hands were chained tight and secure behind his back, amidst numerous flurries of punches and kicks from the Raiders. Through it all, Spoon remained slung over one of the Raider's shoulders, face pale and dirty.

_Is he dead? Please...please don't be dead. Please. Don't let them get my contract. Please don't be dead._ Charon begged mentally as the Raiders marched them into a cavern under the overpass. The cave was filthy, a few bloody mattresses huddled at the entrance before it branched off into several tunnels. A smoky fire lit the back wall.

Charon tripped over a Raider's outstretched foot, landing on one of the mattresses with a muffled curse amidst the snorts of Raider laughter. Spoon's body was tossed carelessly down with him after the Raiders had also tied the young man's hands together behind him.

Three Raiders took up sentry duty for the evening, standing outside the entrance and scouring for potential threats.

_This is not good_. Charon shifted himself into an upright position, carefully hooking his boot through the crook of Spoon's elbow to drag the unconscious man closer to him. The Raider leader and Harold had headed into the tunnels, leaving just one inebriated member who only appeared to have one ear to tend the fire, plus the three outside. With a grunt, Charon slid Spoon to a point where he could get the younger man across his knees. Then, he hauled his knees up, effectively landing Spoon in his lap.

Charon bent close, realizing with a shock that this was the first time he had seen Spoon without his customary hat. And also that Spoon's hair was much longer than he had thought previously. The young man apparently kept it bobby-pinned tightly to his skull, and then tucked it under his hat. Those bobby pins gave Charon an idea as Spoon's eyes fluttered open.

"Shhh." the ghoul said quietly, noting the panicked look on Spoon's face. "We're going to be okay. But I need your help."

"My shoulder hurts." Spoon groaned, a few belated tears tracking through the dirt on his cheeks.

Charon sighed. "I know, but listen to me, alright?" Spoon nodded. "I need you to lay down with your head between my back and the wall, facing the wall. Can you do that?"

Another nod. "Okay. Quietly now. We don't want to disturb Ears over there." Charon whispered, pushing up with one of his knees to get Spoon in a sitting pose. Spoon carefully, gingerly lowered his head down between Charon's back and the wall.

Once his head was on the floor, Charon got to work.

* * *

**AN:** So I imagine sometimes the viewpoints get somewhat confusing. I promise, it won't be for much longer. But long story short, Spoon is indeed female. Charon refers to her in masculine terms because that is how she presented herself to him. I promise it's only for a little while longer though ;A; apologies!


	14. Chapter 14: Pinned

Her face was towards the wall. She had followed his instructions, dumb as they seemed, to the letter. Through the dull ache of pain in her shoulder, she was surprised to feel rough-skinned fingers brush hesitantly against her scalp.

"I'm going to try and be gentle." Charon's murmur sounded so loud to her hypersensitive ears. Those fingers came again, this time digging through her hair with a purpose. Spoon bit her lip, forcing down a yelp of pain as he jerked a bobby pin free. There were a few metallic scraping sounds that seemed to echo over the crackling of the fire in the corner.

_He's picking the locks! We're going to escape!_ Spoon realized excitedly. The next time his hands touched her hair, she eagerly pressed against them, hoping that she was helping. Charon's body stiffened momentarily, but his fingers sought out another pin, and pulled it free. And after that one broke, another took it's place. And another, and another.

The sky was completely dark outside when the sound of footsteps alerted Spoon that someone was coming. She went limp behind Charon, the ghoul flexing his hands in a fidgety manner as someone entered the room.

"Take the runt. We'll see how well he holds up."

Spoon's blood went cold as someone grabbed her arm and crouched, pulling her boneless self up onto their back. She felt her hair fall over her face, much longer than she remembered it being. She heard some scrabbling, but didn't dare open her eyes to see what was happening.

Charon's voice rasped through the cave. "Don't take him! He's...he's crazy! He'll kill you all if he wakes up!"

"'He', huh?" someone sneered. Greedy fingers pushed her hair aside and tilted her head. Spoon's face burned with shame as she imagined the look on Charon's face. Disappointment. Hatred. Anger. "'He' sure has some soft skin. Almost like a _woman._ And this hair-!" There was a harsh inhale. Spoon barely kept from flinching. "I know a few folks that would pay a pretty penny for this little lady."

"No!" Charon sounded desperate.

The Raider snickered. "What's the matter, shuffler? Is she your _fuckbuddy_?" Whoever had been carrying Spoon dropped her suddenly. The young woman bit her tongue as she hit the ground, cringing from the pain in her shoulder.

"I ain't touchin' no shuffler-fucker." a voice said nervously. There was a dull _smack_, and a howl of pain.

"We need to make sure the little lady's in working order, got it Harold? Now, strip 'er."


	15. Chapter 15: Bluffing

"I can assure you _gentlemen_, that after fucking me she's going to want nothing to do with _your_ tiny dicks." Charon snarled. He was rewarded with a punch in the mouth by one of the more courageous Raiders. He shook his head, tasting blood. "She ain't gonna' be interested, and she sure as fuck ain't gonna' be excited."

_Spoon is a girl. Spoon is a **woman**. And if I don't do something-_

Charon blanched, fighting back the images that rushed to his head. _I can't let that happen. Not again. Not to anyone._

The words started spilling out when Spoon began to thrash as Harold undid her belt. "I mean it! This girl can't get enough of me! She's so used to me, she's not even gonna' _look_ at you," Charon continued, carrying on his fumble with the bobby pin and lock behind his back, "because my dick is the only thing that gets her off."

"Izzat right?" Harold paused in the middle of pulling Spoon's pants around her ankles, his hungry expression fading to genuine curiosity. He paid for his lack of care when Spoon headbutted him violently.

Even Ears and the leader looked interested. "And _why_ is that, shuffler?" Ears asked.

Charon grinned inwardly, having finally gotten their attention. And this pin would do it, he was sure. But he had to keep it quiet. No sense in them knowing he was free and putting a bullet in his skull.

Spoon made an infuriated sound, attempting to crawl away. But Harold wrapped an arm around her knees, seeming immune to the kicks she aimed at his ribs.

Charon's face tightened at how..._familiar_ Harold was being with his partner. But he choked it down, forcing himself to focus on somehow, _somehow_ fabricating a legitimate reason why Spoon would prefer his...genitals to others. He was still in process of wrapping his head around the fact that Spoon was a _woman_, and now he had to not only remember she was a woman, but pretend that they had been intimate long enough for her to develop a preference for him. He cast wildly around his brain for an idea, well aware of the starved looks the Raiders aimed at Spoon. _What...what-_

"It's all in the skin." he said finally, steeling himself against a cringe as Spoon snapped her teeth and growled angrily at Harold. The Raider had tugged Spoon's underwear down, scraping his fingernails greedily over her thighs. "Because of how rough my skin is on my _massive fucking dick_, she can't get enough of me."

Spoon kneed Harold in the stomach and rolled to her feet, almost tripping when she scuffed up a little dirt to kick in Harold's face. The Raider laughed, the sound sending a chill down Charon's spine.

The pin clicked, finally dropping the lock to the ground.

Charon lunged forwards with a furious roar of, "_Don't you fucking touch her again!_" His hands wrapped around Harold's neck and he slammed the man's head into the ground, Charon snatching the combat knife from his boot and slitting the man's throat. He whirled on the Raider leader, snarling and lashing out with the knife, forcing the man backwards.

Spoon kicked the backs of the Raider leader's knees, toppling him. The back of his head cracked into the cave wall and he slumped on top of her, lifeless.

Charon glared at Ears. "_Give me my fucking gun._"

Ears hastily tossed the combat shotgun at the ghoul, a bullet in the brain Charon's thanks.

Charon shot a quick look outside, nodding in satisfaction. The sentries had hightailed it out of the area. _Raiders, while known for their savagery, are large cowards and tend to flee._ His eyes widened. _Shit. Spoon._ He bolted to the young woman. "Spoon?" he said cautiously, tugging her into an upright position. She sagged against him, her chest heaving. "Spoon. Hey." Charon sighed, reaching for his knife again. He started sawing through the ropes around her wrists, half-listening to Spoon's shuddering breathing. He didn't want her to hyperventilate. Not after everything else.

"_I'm so sorry_."

The whisper caught Charon completely off-guard. The ropes snapped, and she began to clumsily hoist her pants back up. She cinched her belt tight without meeting his eyes, wiping her nose and snuffling quietly.

"...Smoothskin, I hate to break it to you, but _I'm_ the one that's supposed to be sorry right now. I failed you. I'm supposed to protect you." Charon bowed his head. "You may fire me, or punish me if that is your wish. It is what I deserve for allowing this to happen."

"N-no-!" Spoon choked out. "I'm j-just...I'm sorry I wasn't much help."

"'Much help'? Spoon..." Charon grumbled, a little relieved _that_ was what she was upset about. "You're not useless. You kept your cool until I could get free. You helped _amazingly_ by having those pins in your hair in the first place. You didn't stop fighting back, even with a fucking hole in your shoulder. You're a goddamn champ."

"I didn't want them to get your contract." Spoon said in a small voice, looking up through the mess of brown hair at Charon.

"And they didn't. You've done good, kid." Charon said, ruffling her hair and then standing up. "C'mon. Let's get you home."

Spoon continued to sit even when Charon offered her a hand up. Charon was momentarily confused, until she said quietly, "You need to give me a minute. My knees feel like jello."

"Oh." Charon sat back down beside her, not a little surprised when she burrowed into his side. Spoon coughed softly. "Hey..." Charon's hand hovered awkwardly above her back for a moment before he carefully laid it flat over her spine. His hand moved of it's own volition, rubbing small circles on Spoon's shaking back.

Charon cleared his throat after several minutes had passed. "How about I carry you? We'll head back to Megaton and grab your rifle along the way."

Spoon nodded into his side. Charon's eyes softened. _Poor little scrapper._ "Alright, climb up. You're going to be fine."

* * *

**AN:** Two updates in a day! As usual, many thanks to the new follower (FallenAngelk93), and super, SUPER thanks to the guest review! You're so very kind, and I hope I can continue to live up to your expectations! W


	16. Chapter 16: Transit

_Useless._

Spoon crushed her eyes shut, clinging tighter to Charon's back. Pain flared wearily in her shoulder. She could only imagine how Charon must feel, carrying her, her rifle, his shotgun, _and_ her pack. Stupid her, not putting any goddamn _Stims_ in the pack. Cocky, sloppy, useless little Spoon.

_I didn't think we'd get fucking 'napped, okay? I know I need to be prepared for every happenstance, but fuck, how was I gonna' know we'd get bagged?_ Spoon reasoned, feeling Charon tense up under her. The ghoul raised his shotgun and took out a mole rat, the blast ringing in Spoon's ears. Charon grunted, seeming content in his handiwork. _He's so brave. He kept pulling their attention back to himself so they wouldn't..._Spoon shuddered. A blush stained her cheeks as she thought back to what Charon had said.

"_I can assure you __**gentlemen**__, that after fucking me she's going to want nothing to do with __**your**__ tiny dicks!_"

Spoon hid her face in the collar of Charon's jacket, thoroughly embarrassed.

"You alright back there, miss?" Charon rasped.

Spoon nodded, her cheek accidentally rubbing the back of Charon's neck. "I'm sorry I lied to you about being a man."

"I don't recall your gender ever coming up in conversation, Spoon." Charon paused, then continued, "However, we should probably discuss it once you're taken care of. Now is not the time."

The woman could have cried from relief when she heard Deputy Weld's halting greeting, and she told Charon to put her down. "They're already suspicious enough of you. I don't want anyone shooting you because they think you killed me or something." she mumbled around the hat brim in her mouth, braiding her hair and then tucking it up under the hat. She winced as the motion pulled her shoulder.

"Fine. But I will carry your pack." Charon said, acting like he was stating a fact.

Spoon grumbled, but allowed him to carry it as they climbed over the water pipes and up the makeshift stairs to her house.

"Welcome home, madam!" Wadsworth chirped from the kitchen as she opened the door.

"Wads, I need a Nuka-Cola. No, make it two. And...and some whiskey. And two cups." Spoon ordered, shooing the robot towards the fridge. "Bring 'em upstairs."

"Certainly madam!"

"You can drop the pack by the door." she said to Charon, who obliged, setting the raggedy knapsack on the floor. "I'm gonna' need your help with my shoulder. I'm good, but I ain't _that_ good. And poor Doc Church needs to be left alone at this hour."

"As you wish."


	17. Chapter 17: Touch

_She wants me to touch her? To dress her wounds? Me?_ Charon shook his head as he followed Spoon up the stairs. _This can't be right. It was acceptable when I didn't know she was a woman. Men often care for each others injuries. Very rarely is there anything romantic, simply camaraderie. Women...if you care for a woman's wounds, it means you care for the woman herself. You cherish her enough to not want her to hurt. _

_If a woman asks you to help dress her wounds, she trusts you. She lets her guard down around you. And you, as the man, cannot simply be rough and necessary. You have to be gentle, and careful, and_-

"Hey!" Spoon waved her fingers in his face, startling him. "You alright? Did they hit you on the head or something?"

"No, sorry. Lost in thought." Charon mumbled.

Spoon nodded. "Okay. If you're sure you're alright."

"I'm fine."

Spoon tossed her hat and bandanna on a rickety chair, starting to struggle out of her long duster coat. Charon silently grabbed a sleeve, and tugged until she was able to get her injured arm out safely. He draped the coat over the chair with the rest of her gear, briefly examining the hole in the jacket. _At least it didn't lodge in her shoulder._

Charon's mouth went dry when he turned around, and he swallowed hard before he could stop himself. Spoon had stripped off her loose shirt, leaving nothing but a sleeveless undershirt on. Bandages wrapped around her chest under the shirt. Charon's brow furrowed. "What is this from?" he asked, pointing to the bandages. "You cannot still be suffering from the Talon Merc's bullets from when you acquired my contract, and I don't recall you sustaining any other chest or rib related injuries while I have been in your service."

"It's...it's not an injury." Spoon's blush was almost tangible.

Charon choked on a breath as his mind shrieked _boobs, you dumb sack of shit!_

"Oh. Uh. My apologies." he stammered.

Spoon started to giggle, and Charon's nervousness dissipated into indignant embarrassment as she doubled over in a fit of laughter.

"What's so goddamn funny?" he growled.

"Your face-!" she snorted.

Charon rubbed the back of his neck. "Well fucking sue me. A few hours ago you were a man. Now, not only are you _not_ a man, I've got to come to grips with the fact that you fought alongside me, and I haven't given a flying fuck about how goddamn careful I have to be."

Spoon stopped laughing, her face serious. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Well, I mean...like what happened today." Charon hastily explained. "I have...a female employer is different from having a male employer. If a male employer is kidnapped, I usually don't have to distract his kidnappers from molesting him."

"And you were so smart when it came to that! I never would have thought to appeal to their baser instincts like you did." Spoon's face had relaxed into an expression of genuine admiration.

Charon grimaced at that. "I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. It was purely an attempt to distract. I didn't mean to imply that we were anything more than partners. After how kind you've been to me, it would be a poor way to repay you."

"Hey." she put a hand on his arm. "It's okay. I'm glad you did it. I'm glad you were quick enough to do it. You're the best partner I've ever had."

"You flatter me. We should be checking your shoulder." Charon clenched his fist, surprised when her hand gave his tightened muscles an appreciative stroke. "Here, let me see. Where is that damned robot?"

"Right here, sir!" said a cheery metallic voice.

Charon rolled his eyes. "'Sir', my ass." he grumbled, taking the Nuka-Cola, whiskey and cups away from the robot. "Can you purify condensation? Does your model do that?" he asked. "Cerberus couldn't."

"I am not sure what model this...'Cerberus' fellow is," Wadsworth sniffed, "but I can assure you _I_ am the pinnacle of service-"

"Great. Quit jawing and purify some water rustbucket." the ghoul interrupted.

"...please?" Spoon tacked on at the end of Charon's order, elbowing him in the side.

"What?" Charon grunted.

"Be nice. He's one of my only friends." Spoon smiled at Wadsworth. "One of my best friends."

The robot cleared it's nonexistent throat, dropping a bottle into Spoon's hand. "If that is all madam and sir require, I shall take my leave."

"Thanks Wadsworth."

After the door closed, Charon sighed. "Why the hell are you so adamant on being kind to things that don't require or deserve kindness? Not that it's my place to question. If you weren't I'd still be rotting in The Ninth Circle. But color me curious as fuck, Spoon."

Spoon shrugged. "A lot of people in the world now don't understand kindness. I grew up in a place that, until the very end, seemed like a kind environment." She winced as Charon started scrubbing at the crusted blood on her shoulder. "I thought everyone was happy with their lives. I thought the world worked differently." Spoon shook her head.

"Where did you grow up?" Charon asked quietly, trying to keep her mind off what he was doing.

"Pretty close to here, actually. But it might as well be worlds away." she said cryptically. "When I left though, the place had gone to shambles. People killing one another. Acting like wild animals. It was a madhouse."

Spoon flinched when Charon patted her shoulder dry. "Sorry." the ghoul muttered, surprised that he actually meant it.

"It's okay. Just...not used to someone else patching up my sorry ass." There was a tremor in Spoon's voice. After a few moments, she continued. "I left with nothing but a BB gun, a baseball bat, and the suit on my back. I didn't know anything about...about how the world had changed. All I had been told was that the world was a dangerous place, and I was safer where I was."

Charon made a noncommittal noise in his throat, smoothing a Stimpack over the wound. He chanced a glance at Spoon's face, noticing her eyes look suspiciously teary. "Am I being too rough?"

"No, no! I'm just...thinkin' about leaving home." she murmured, seeming distant. "My dad...he left before I did. I never knew my mother. She died giving birth to me. Dad said I looked just like her. He'd tell me all these stories I thought were made up, about their adventures in the outside world. Ants the size of dogs; cities made out of boats or planes and people who had forgotten to put their skin on that morning."

Charon chuckled. "Ghouls?"

Spoon nodded, seeming surprised at the laugh. "Yeah. I guess that was the kindest or most child-friendly way he could think to phrase it. He would show me pictures of the human musculature in his medical books, saying that was how it looked. He was a doctor, a scientist actually. So smart." There was a bitter edge to her voice. "Too smart to let me slow him down."

"He left you behind?" Charon asked, instantly regretting the words as he watched Spoon's jaw tense.

"I don't think that was his intent. But-" she swallowed as Charon began wrapping a bandage under her arm and over her shoulder, "that's what ended up happening. He left, and the whole place came down around my ears. I didn't know what to do. Everyone was hunting me because they thought I knew where my dad had gone. No one was ever supposed to leave and he just..." her words trailed off as Charon secured the bandage carefully.

"Why was no one supposed to leave? Were you in a cult of some kind?" Charon already had an inkling about where she was from, but he figured he would keep his questions neutral.

"I suppose it sort of was a cult, now that I think about it." was all Spoon said in reply. She stood, struggling into her loose white shirt again. She was almost as white as the shirt, dark circles under her eyes telling of many sleepless nights.

"You uh, lost a lot of blood earlier. I don't think that the whiskey will help-" Charon began.

"Last time I checked, I didn't give a flying fuck about what you thought." Spoon snapped as she poured whiskey and Nuka-Cola into one of the cups.

Charon fell silent, wondering what he had done to deserve _that_.

Spoon sighed, rubbing a hand over her face and handing him the full cup without turning to face him. "I'm sorry. That was rude as shit. I don't...I don't like to tell my story. It sort of stings a little bit more every time I tell it. That combined with today's other fabulous events...I just kind of want to forget, okay?"

"Do you wish me to leave you alone?" Charon asked stiffly, taking a sip out of the cup.

"No. I like-that is, I appreciate the company when I'm in a shitty mood. Normally I'd have to suss out Moira or go talk to Gob and Nova. Ping a few more caps off Moriarty's fat fucking face." Spoon half-smiled down into her own cup at that. "The way I am right now, I'd probably just start another fucking fight."

"You tend to seek out conflict when you're conflicted?" Charon remarked dryly, "Quaint." She shot him a glare that he pacified with a ragged grin. A little more predatory than he would have liked, but he was out of practice smiling. "Kidding, Spoon. Only kidding."

"So you _do_ have a sense of humor?" she observed, mocking his earlier tone.

Charon shrugged. "Despite what people seem to believe, I am in fact a human."

She gasped. "Say it ain't so!"

"Alright if you're going to be a wiseass..." Charon pretended to start getting up, surprised when she put a hand on his arm. _Every goddamn time it surprises the shit out of me!_ he thought exasperatedly.

"You're goin' nowhere ghoul. Not til' you down your cup like a man." Spoon growled with a smirk.

"Is that a _challenge_, smoothskin?" Charon snarled, "because if it is, you're shit outta' luck. I can out-drink, out-smoke, out-fuck, out-fight anyone in the goddamn Wastes. Lack of practice aside, I've hardly gone soft from being stuck in a low-lit dive for a century or two." He tipped the cup back, gulping the contents and wiping his mouth.

* * *

**AN:** A new chapter! Many thanks for the reviews/follows (both guest and Nurane!), they're much appreciated! I love you all, and stay safe out in the Wastes!


	18. Chapter 18: Sundance

"Lucas owes me some caps for yesterday's fiasco." Spoon explained, her voice still rough from the Nuka-whiskey mix. "So we're gonna' visit him, and then I have to go to Craterside. I'm finally low on ammo."

Charon nodded, easily keeping up with her short strides.

_Spoon had awoken that morning in a pleasant, alcohol-induced haze. She had sat in her chair for what felt like hours, watching the way Charon's back rippled as he breathed. The ghoul had slept on the floor in front of her chair, his combat armor shucked to the side. Slept or passed out, she wasn't sure. The sun's weary rays peered through the sheets of metal on the walls, catching the dust motes and making them dance through the beams. _

_She had made a small, contented purring sound, stretching and positioning herself more comfortably in her chair. Spoon lazily examined Charon's frame, quietly surprised at how calmly she was appraising him. Strong, lean body. Of course, she didn't need to watch him while he was sleeping to know he was strong. He had certainly proved it to her during yesterday's events, if not before. But watching him now allowed her to appreciate him when he didn't have his guard up._

_**He must have been something else before he got ghoulified**. Spoon thought with a yawn, getting up and meandering around his body. **Goddamn professional motherfucker. Bet he broke all the girls' hearts.**_

"Ah, here we are," Spoon said with a hint of relief, her cheeks feeling unnaturally hot as she thought back to her morning. "Simms, have I got a fucking story for you!" she continued as she shook the sheriff's hand.

Simms' brow furrowed as he looked up at Charon and gave the ghoul a tight nod. Charon returned the motion after a moment. Simms didn't particularly care for ghouls, but he also operated on the, 'Do Unto Others' policy, so he wasn't about to start trouble. And for that, Spoon was forever grateful. "What happened to you yesterday? Stockholm said you came home on the big bastard's back." Simms said worriedly.

Charon gave an exasperated huff, and Spoon looked up at him. His eyes were somewhat pointedly aimed over Simms' head.

Spoon smiled uneasily. "He's exaggeratin'! If you calm your tits, I'll tell you what happened. Besides, you know how batty Stockholm can get."

"Well alright then. Lay it on me." Lucas said, lighting a cigarette and looking at Spoon expectantly.

"Ah, we cleared 'em out at any rate," Spoon began lamely. Lucas raised an eyebrow, and Charon made a sound that seemed suspiciously close to a chuckle. "That is, there were what...maybe eight of them in their hole?"

"Nine." Charon corrected quietly.

"Right, nine. Sorry. During the skirmish on the overpass they shot up my shoulder. I got knocked out. We were sort of..."

"Kidnapped." Charon filled in for her. "I was chained up."

"Yeah. He thinks they worked for some Slavers. They were talking about selling us." Spoon explained.

Simms looked surprised. "They're getting too bold. That's way too close to Megaton for _my_ comfort." He sighed. "As long as you wiped 'em out, there's really nothing else to do." The sheriff dug around in his pocket. "Here's the caps." he said, passing a small sack to Spoon.

Spoon nodded, tipping her hat in a farewell. "So long, Calamity." she grinned, making Lucas laugh and doff his own hat.

"Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals." Simms said with a smile, waving as Spoon set off for Craterside Supply.

"What was all that about?" Charon asked once they were out of earshot.

Spoon gave him a sidelong smile. "He's a big fan of the old-world westerns. My dad was too, so occasionally I quote something at him and he quotes right back."

"Ah."

"Do _you_ like westerns?"

"Too many horses for my liking." Charon grumbled.

"Aw." Spoon was disappointed, but excited that Charon had expressed a personal dislike that had nothing to do with the safety of their locale.

* * *

**AN:** Apologies for the late of updates, everyone. A family friend passed away recently, and my time has been invested in more pressing matters. I hope to get back to a regular update schedule soon. Stay safe everyone.


	19. Chapter 19: Golden

"Spoon come on in! Just clearing up a little infesta—oooo, who's your friend?" Moira bounded around the counter, eyes wide as she began pressing her hands to Charon's chest. The ghoul started in surprise, stepping back and snarling as Spoon began to laugh.

"Hands off Moira, he's mine." Spoon said with an easy grin.

Moira pouted. "Psh, you _would_ swing that way, Vaultie. I don't suppose I could rent him out for a spell? Clearly, I have some _research_ to do."

"Nice try love," Charon watched the blush that spread across Moira's cheeks at the endearment, "but I'm no Slaver. I don't 'rent' people. I'm here to buy, and maybe sell you some of this junk. Besides, I could never part from this guy. He's saved my ass one too many times."

"Aw fine. You're no fun, y'know that?" Moira grumbled, turning away to walk back behind her counter. Spoon crept up beside her, deftly pulling the redhead towards her into a graceful dip. Charon swallowed hard as Spoon murmured something quietly to the shop owner.

_This girl is something else._ the ghoul mused to himself as Moira sputtered and turned bright red. Spoon released her, again mentioning that she was here on business. It was a decidedly giddier Moira that began to haul out boxes of ammunition and accoutrements, babbling all the while about her experiments.

* * *

"Gold star! You handled her like a champ!" Spoon praised Charon teasingly as they headed back to her house with arms full of ammunition and other supplies.

Charon shook his head. "You had an...interesting way of changing her tune." His voice held quiet disapproval that did not go unnoticed by Spoon.

The scavenger shrugged as she fumbled around unlocking the door with her hands full. "She's used to people avoiding her because they think she's nuts. Now, I ain't saying she isn't, but she's not a bad sort." Spoon carried on as she dumped her ammunition into her comfy chair, "I use almost the exact same tactics on any trader I come across. It's only gotten me shot at a few times. Mostly by angry wives who think I'm going to pull their men to 'the dark side' of gender preferences." Spoon sniggered. "It even worked on Ahzrukhal."

"Why would you have tried it on Ahzrukhal?" Charon seemed to have a difficult time getting the words out of his mouth. "What made you think it would work on a ghoul?"

"It was a gamble. I didn't _know_ it would work. I just hoped real hard." Spoon smiled, putting a hand on Charon's arm. "I'm glad it did, though." Realizing what she was doing, she quickly pulled away with a cough. "I mean, y'know. You've been really helpful with stuff. And I hope you're more happy. Anything's probably better than leaning against that wall for hours."

"You have no idea." Charon mused, his expression troubled. He knelt, spreading an old, stained cloth on the floor. Spoon was familiar with the ritualistic cleaning of his shotgun that occurred every night. She watched him sometimes, silently of course. She didn't want to interrupt. He didn't really seem _happy,_ per say, but there was a quiet contentment in his body language that wasn't present any other time.

She sat down on the floor, and started tugging off her heavy boots. Charon paid her no mind as he carefully unloaded the shotgun and began disassembling it. Spoon pretended to be occupied with sorting out the different types of ammo, shooting cautious glances at Charon's sure hands.

Within a half hour, Charon was done. He held out a hand abruptly, making Spoon jump and drop the ammunition she had been 'sorting'. He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "Your gun. Want it cleaned?"

Spoon cleared her throat, feeling very caught and _very_ awkward. "Show me how you do it? I've probably been doing it wrong this whole time. I've never had anyone to show me so I just kind of figured it out by myself." she admitted, passing the ghoul her rifle and sitting back down next to him.


	20. Chapter 20: Dismissal

"See normally I just kind of swab it out with a wet cloth an' call it quits. It's kept it going for this long." Spoon explained.

Charon grumbled to himself, already noticing the built-up layers of grime in the rifle's barrel. "You're lucky as hell that this thing hasn't exploded in your face, smoothskin."

"I never said it didn't!" Spoon protested, and Charon noticed for the first time (with a flicker of amusement) that her eyebrows were growing back in odd patches. "But it's the first weapon I ever found, and...I kind of love it, y'know?" she finished weakly. "I mean, that thing and my knife have saved my hide probably thousands of times."

"Well I'll show you the basics, so if I ever...I mean, if _you_ ever decide to sell my contract, you can uh," Charon cleared his throat, "stay safe."

"Thanks."

The quiet word was so genuine it made Charon feel uncomfortable. He busied himself with wordlessly showing her the basic ways to clean the weapon. Numerous times he was forced to put his hands over hers to guide them, as her fingers were somewhat indelicate and unsure, and he found himself silently hoping that she wasn't disgusted by his touch.

"I left the Vault with nothing but a BB gun and a baseball bat, and I didn't even know how to upkeep _them_, so you can imagine how foreign this all is to me."

Charon almost jumped when she spoke, hastily reigning himself in as he automatically scanned the room for threats.

Spoon sighed heavily. "Everybody in the place was either trying to kill me or telling me to get the fuck out. I was lucky I got out alive."

"A Vault-Dweller, huh?" Charon commented, keeping his tone level.

Spoon nodded, an unhappy look turning her face dark.

Charon was surprised to find that he missed the way her face was before. Preferences were...odd. When he worked for Ahzrukhal, he didn't need to worry about preferences. There wasn't all that much to worry about. Certainly not much to think about or do. Knock a few heads in, leave Patches at The Chop Shop. Clean his gun. Try to recall what it felt like to eat on a regular basis.

Sometimes to keep his sanity, Charon would make lists in his head. Songs he remembered, places he had been. He didn't want to forget.

He rotated his shoulders, grumbling low in his throat. Now wasn't the time for this shit. Never was the time for this shit. Charon stood, muttering, "I'm tired."

He felt the prickle of something that he vaguely recognized as guilt when he saw her eyes flash with poorly concealed hurt at his dismissal. But she quickly mastered herself, getting up and bidding him goodnight.

Her hand waited on his arm too long again.

Charon found sleep eluded him for quite a while that night.

* * *

**AN:** Apologies on how long this has taken me. Still a bit under the weather I'm afraid. Stay safe out there, everyone.


	21. Chapter 21: Skirmish

The low thud of crank gun fire had told them where the mutant was long before they could hear it hollering.

"I'll come about down this hall. You flank him from the other hall. Stay low, shoot in the reload zone." Charon hissed.

Spoon nodded grimly, and bolted for the hallway. She gritted her teeth against the fear she felt swelling in her chest. She _hated_ super mutants, hated their smell, their yelling, and _especially_ their nasty penchant for making themselves goody bags of human remains for later. Spoon skidded to a stop beside a doorway as the crank gun whirred to a stop.

_Shoot in the reload zone._

Spoon whipped her gun around the doorframe, cracking a shot off into the super mutant's neck. Blood spurted as the mutant let out an enraged bellow, fumbling with the crank gun. Spoon managed to get two more shots off, both burying themselves uselessly in the beast's shoulder.

_Charon where are you?_ she thought in a panic, scrambling away from the doorway as the crank gun whirred back to life. Bullets started to rip through the wall over her head, and she fled back down the hall.

"_Found you!_"

Spoon couldn't suppress the scream that bubbled up in her throat as a massive hand landed on her shoulder and spun her around. She fired point-blank into the mutant's stomach, the panic making her jerk the trigger twice. The rifle jammed. The mutant grinned, exhaling a foul breath into her face.

Spoon flicked the trigger forward and then back. Nothing.

The super mutant picked her up around the neck. Spoon hastily wrapped a hand around it's arm, saving her neck from instantly being snapped. She frantically pumped the trigger of the rifle as the mutant laughed, tears starting to come as she prayed for the damn thing to work work _work_ _please!_

She pressed the barrel of the gun to the mutant's face as her vision started to gray out. All she could hear was the maniac, discordant laughter of the creature and the useless clicking of her gun.

_So this is how I die?_

The calm thought surprised her into ceasing to struggle for a minute. _Huh. This is definitely looking like how I die. I only wish I could have been stronger. Strong enough to kill this giant, dumb_-

The rifle abruptly fired into the mutant's face, neatly shearing through the skull and taking a chunk of miniscule brain with it. The mutant stopped moving, face frozen in shock. The fingers around Spoon's neck tightened into a throat-crushing grip, and then relaxed as the beast slumped to the ground. Spoon rolled away, coughing and sucking air into her lungs. She flung an arm out and scooped up her rifle, standing on shaky legs.

_Charon. Where is Charon?_ she wondered, rummaging through the super mutant's armor for anything useful. She wished she was strong enough to easily use the crank gun, but no such luck. Those things weighed a ton, and no matter how good they were in a pinch there was no way she was lugging one around.

The worry for Charon started to eat away at her, and she cautiously crept further down the hall. She could hear grunts and struggling in a room ahead, but it was too dark to see anything.

"Charon?" she hissed, one hand on the wall and the other on her gun as she carefully felt her way forwards.

"_Time to die!_" the scream cut through the black, making Spoon blanch from how close it was.

"Charon!" she cried, fumbling in her pockets and coming up with a matchbook.

* * *

**AN:  
**Back to our regularly scheduled program, it would seem! We have some new followers, welcome aboard silverdragon0315, Too-fly, Befudle, coduss, and Little Miss Lover! Thanks to all of you for the favorites, and thank you to all of you that reviewed as well! You're all lovely people. Please stay safe!


	22. Chapter 22: Dark

"Keep back smoothsk-!" Charon's yell was cut off as the super mutant slammed the butt of its rifle into his jaw, knocking him back on his ass. Charon spat off to the side, thoroughly pissed off with his luck. He'd had no idea the supermutant was in here. He was running to circle around and help Spoon, and he had come careening right into the mutant's lair. The fucking thing had batted his shotgun right out of his hands and off into the darkness. It had been either 'drop the gun' or 'have your wrists busted in two'.

Charon growled in frustration, his knife itchy in his hands as he got to his feet. A tiny flare of light got his attention, and in the moment that he turned to look the super mutant howled and swung its rifle like a club into the side of his head.

Pain exploded in a red haze across Charon's field of vision and he dropped to his knees. The look of horror on Spoon's face that he had seen in the brief flicker of the match burned into his brain.

Charon snarled, attempting to stand again. The rifle swung into his ribs, tossing him a few feet like a kicked dog. He lay there in the dust, his brain screaming _get up get up contract holder danger __**Spoon danger get up!**_ Charon groaned, feeling his ribs slide over one another in his side as he rolled over and moved to get up.

* * *

_Where is his gun? Where is his **gun**?!_ Spoon thought frantically, feeling around in the layer of dirt and sand on the floor. _The mutant must have knocked it out of his hands. I would have heard it fire—thing kicks like a mule_. she reasoned, stifling a triumphant holler as her fingers brushed against the familiar barrel of the shotgun.

She quickly picked it up. But how to get back to Charon? The super mutant was still in the room, evidenced by the heavy breathing that goaded her to panic. Spoon squinted in the dark. It was pitch...wait. No. There was the doorway! It was barely noticeable in the black, and she couldn't be sure if her brain was just playing tricks on her, making her see what she wanted to see in the dark, but it was something!

"_I'm gonna eat your arms when you're dead, human!_" the super mutant yelled angrily. Spoon could hear it flailing around, and guessed that it was probably across the room. She ran for the door, barely managing to avoid tripping over the larger chunks of debris on the floor. Her foot caught on something soft, and she sprawled over it, the wind knocked out of her.

"Dammit smoothskin-" Charon's voice coughed, flooding her with the delicious shock of relief.

_He's alive!_ "Charon!" she gasped, "gun!"

* * *

**AN:** More coming soon! Stay tuned!


	23. Chapter 23: Glorious

Feeling that glorious, genius smoothskin press his shotgun into his limp hands was almost enough to get Charon to go toe-to-toe with the mutant again.

Almost. His body protested violently when he tried to stand though. He groaned.

Spoon seemed to sense that something was wrong. "Charon?" Her voice shook. Barely, just a hint on the end of the word, but enough to let Charon know that she was scared.

The ghoul spat off to the side as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "This thing did a number on me smoothskin. I'm sorry."

Small hands covered his on the shotgun. "Then let me help. What do I need to do?"

"Just-" Charon gritted his teeth. "-try to keep me from fallin' on my ass when I fire."

Spoon was behind him in a second. She tucked her hands into the pockets of his pants, then scrunched them into fists as Charon grunted and went to stand. With Spoon's help, the giant ghoul managed to get to his feet. The bones in his side clacked and jammed against one another, making his breath catch in his throat. Charon raised his gun, listening hard for where the mutant was scuffling around. A head shot would be positively marvelous right now, but he would take what he could get.

Charon felt Spoon exhale hard when the super mutant let out an infuriated roar, seeming confused at where it's prey had gotten to. Charon grinned though. That had been what he was waiting for. He squeezed the trigger, feeling Spoon's fists tighten in his pockets in response to the kick from the shotgun. The mutant screamed again amidst the thunderous shot.

The silence was a welcome change, and Charon relaxed as he realized the mutant's heavy, erratic breathing was gone. "Well. Now that _that's_ over with."

* * *

"What happened to you?" Spoon finally asked, once she thought her voice was strong enough to keep from shaking. She felt Charon's leg muscles tense under her fists as he went to move, and she quickly pulled her hands out of his pockets. Spoon hesitantly replaced her hands on his hips when Charon stopped moving, and the ghoul grunted.

"Thank you. Makes it easier to walk if I don't have to wonder about how I'm getting back up." he said, "did you have matches or something?"

"Oh!" Spoon had forgotten all about her matchbook, and she quickly handed it over to Charon. The ghoul struck a match, cradling his shotgun in the crook of his elbow as he surveyed the room.

"Alright, it's not looking like he's going to get back up anytime soon." Charon said finally.

Spoon sighed. "Let's just scav the rooms and get the fuck out of here before something stupider happens."

"Took the words right out of my mouth smoothskin."

"Can I set you down by the door and I'll just go through this guy real quick?" Spoon asked, waiting for the ghoul's nod before easing him down. Charon hissed out a breath and Spoon was instantly worried. "What is it?"

"It's nothing. I'll be fine." Charon brushed her off.

Spoon wasn't buying it, however, and after a quick sweep of the room and a few things jammed into her pockets she returned and helped Charon up again. "Come on, I need light if I'm going to patch you up."

"I'm _fine_-"

"No, you're not. Remember what I said? If you're hurt, just tell me so I can fix you. Don't shuffle on pretending you're okay." Spoon grunted, shifting more of the ghoul's weight to rest on her shoulders.

Charon grumbled something under his breath, grudgingly putting one foot in front of the other and letting her help him back down the hall. By the time they reached the foyer though, the ghoul was breathing hard and holding his side in a death grip, presumably to keep the bones from jamming against each other anymore.

"Alright, sit down here. We should be safe." Spoon said, helping Charon sit and then beginning to dig through her pack for Stims.

"Just irradiated water. I'll be alright with that. Don't waste the Stims." Charon breathed.

Spoon was having none of it however, hands busy undoing the straps of his combat armor. "Just shut up and let me help. I'm not 'wasting' Stims, I'm using them on my partner."

"Spoon, I-"

"Shut. Up. Let me work." she snapped, peeling the armor off and tossing it to the side.

Charon fell silent, allowing Spoon to tug his shirt up and see the damage.

Spoon swallowed hard. She wasn't sure if the Stims would be enough. She began opening them and smoothing them over the area anyway. Stims be fucked, meds be fucked, she wasn't losing him. Not here, not like this, not _ever_, hopefully.

Spoon paused. _Uh. Not ever, hmm? Kinda' strong words for the kid who almost got choked out by super mutants._ She flushed a dull red, turning to rummage in her pack for irradiated water. Charon groaned behind her, shifting his legs restlessly.

"Sorry. I'm looking for rad water. I know it'll probably do you more good anyhow." Spoon said quietly. Her hand finally caught the jug, and she hoisted it out of her bag with a triumphant grin. "Got it!"

"Holy shit smoothskin, why the fuck do you tote that fucking much rad water?" Charon wheezed incredulously, gladly taking the pro-offered jug from her.

"In case I get something shot off that I want to keep." Spoon replied. Charon gave her a quizzical look between gulps of water. Spoon sighed. "I did some work for Moira once. Left me a little...weird. If I'm heavily irradiated, stuff regenerates. Important stuff, like limbs."

"So this shit," Charon paused to slosh the jug, "is your failsafe?"

"I suppose so, yeah."

Charon was silent for a minute. "You're a smart little one, you know that Spoon?"

Spoon blushed furiously. "I'm just doing what I need to survive. How do you feel?"

Charon gave her a thumbs up while chugging down the rest of the water. "Million bucks." he said wryly. Spoon got to her feet, stretching.

"Let's spend the night here. If there were any other super mutants in here, we'd know by now. And I'm kind of exhausted. That mutant earlier almost did me in." she yawned.

* * *

**AN:** Two of two, enjoy!


	24. Chapter 24: Cringe

A prickle of worry ran down Charon's spine. "Why, what happened?" he asked.

Spoon waved it off. "It had me around the neck for a minute. It got kinda tense, but I sorted it out."

"Are you sure? You could be injured. Let me see." Charon stood, disliking the swimming feeling in his head from the irradiated water. Spoon unbuttoned her duster, pulling the collar down to show Charon the angry purple marks from the super mutant's hand.

"I'm gonna' have one fucker of a bruise, but I'll be okay." Spoon said cheerily.

Charon shook his head. "That thing should have snapped your neck. You're damn lucky it wasn't hungry."

"What about _your_ mutant, Charon? " she asked, continuing to unbutton her coat.

Charon 'ahem'ed. "It uh, essentially slapped the gun right out of my hands. It was either let go of the gun, or not have functioning wrists. I still had my knife so I thought I would be alright."

Spoon was quiet for a minute. "Did you know that it was there? The...mutant?" her voice seemed unusually serious.

"I...I apologize, Mistress. I did not. I was coming around to help you, as we had planned." Charon looked away. _I didn't want it to hurt you. I thought you were dead after the first one stopped making noise. I thought it was eating you, I thought-_ "I'm sorry. I've failed you again."

"No! No, it's alright. You didn't do anything wrong. Thank you for protecting me." The smile she gave him felt like a punch to the stomach.

"Mistress...Spoon. You know someday you _will_ have to punish me. I was human at one point, and I still have all the faults and failures. I'm going to let you down Spoon, and it will be your job to discipline me just as it is my job to follow you." Charon stated bleakly.

A gentle hand touched his chin, and Charon found himself staring into a pair of serious brown eyes. He swallowed hard, feeling his stomach knot at what he saw in those eyes.

_She is...feeling some sort of affection for me?_

"Charon, what do I have to do to get you to understand that I'm _not_ _like_ any of your other employers?" Spoon asked, exasperation bleeding through her tone.

"You are also not the first one of my employers to tell me that. There have been others that started out like you, Spoon. Who knows? Maybe you've just kept the act up a bit longer and better than the rest." Charon shrugged, stepping back. "It is more beneficial to my mental and physical health if I do not concern myself with hoping for things I know won't happen to someone like me. I'll go take the first watch."

"Don't bother." Spoon said quietly, shoving him into a seated position a little more forcefully than was necessary. "You're hurt, and I wouldn't be much of a master if I didn't give my prize buy time to heal, now would I?"

"Spoon that's not w-"

"Save it!" she snapped, jamming her hat on and taking up an angry stance by the door. After a minute or two, Charon heard a stifled sniffle.

"Spoon..." Charon stood, but slumped against the wall a second later. His head spun and he huffed out a quick breath before sliding back down to sit on his ass. "Damn it all." he snarled, feeling helpless for the first time in a long time.

The sniffling continued, making Charon grumble in irritation. "Crying isn't going to make me more likely to believe you, smoothskin."

"Well what the hell else can I do?" the young woman retorted loudly, balling her fists. "What do you want me to say? 'Oh Charon, I'm all shook up on account of you almost getting made into a bag of remains!'" she continued, pitching her voice up into a shrieking falsetto. "Or how about, 'I could have lost you to a giant green fucking monster, who wouldn't have hesitated to pop your head off had it been hungrier!'"

"_Hey!_" Charon roared, "Don't you think for one fucking second that you were the only one scared! I didn't know whether you were-I thought the first one might have fucking _killed_ you and that I was too late _again!_" His legs seemed to gather strength from his outrage, propelling him up and across the room to tower over Spoon. "It wouldn't have mattered then; whether you were a decent human being or not, because I would have had to rifle through your mangled corpse for my goddamn contract and shove it into the hands of the next bastard I came across! I could have-!"

He paused, hand raised. Spoon's fingers were white-knuckled around the handle of her knife, brown eyes fixed on his hand and a slight hunch in her shoulders. Realization hit Charon like a bolt of lightning, and he let his hand fall. The anger began to ebb out of him as Spoon didn't loosen her grip on her knife.

"The contract forbids me from striking you, Spoon." he said finally, his voice sounding too loud in the surrounding silence.

"I don't know that, now do I, Charon?" she responded through clenched teeth.

"...and even if it didn't, I tend to avoid hitting people who might be decent human beings." Charon continued, taking a step back as an incredulous look fluttered across Spoon's face. Her death-grip on the knife began to relax, and a flush started to stain her cheeks.

"I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't actually think you were going to hit me or anything Charon, I just-"

"It's alright. I understand. I've taken enough beatings to know." Charon made a sweeping gesture with his hand, his fierce expression gone. "Come sit, Spoon. We should be safe here anyhow, now that the mutants are dead."

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**AN:** Guten Abend, one and all! A short chapter to tide you over. Many thanks to all of you kind enough to take a glance at my story, it means so much to me! Stay safe tonight!


	25. Chapter 25: Careful

"But-!" Spoon began.

"Please." Charon's tone brooked no argument. Spoon bit her lip, watching worriedly as the ghoul lowered himself to the ground with a grimace.

Spoon sat down beside the ghoul with a graceless _thud_. She folded her arms, resting her elbows on her knees as she looked sideways at Charon. The ghoul had his eyes closed, head tilted back against the wall as he breathed a little harder than Spoon was used to.

"I'm sorry about all that. Are you gonna' be alright?" she asked softly. Charon nodded, eyes still shut. Spoon watched his chest rise and fall, surprising even herself with the desire to touch him; to offer some sort of comfort, regardless of how feeble.

What comfort could she give him, anyhow? She was just a scavenger, a wasteland rat. Couldn't even take care of her own gun, let alone the ghoul sworn to her service for good or ill. Spoon shifted downward into herself, feeling altogether like a very sorry state of human being.

A murmured curse from the ghoul snapped her out of her self-loathing, and lit up the practical scavenger's mind with worries and fears anew for her..._friend?_

Could she even call him that? Hell, did she have the _right_ to call him that? _Doesn't really matter right now, _she concluded inwardly, daring to put her hand timidly on his bare arm.

He flinched and his eyes shot to hers, questioning. "Just...just making sure you're okay." she said hesitantly.

The smile he offered her, quick as it was, almost made her gasp in shock.

"I'll be _fine_, smoothskin. Just let the rad-water and Stims do their job." he said, apparently not noticing the effect of his smile on her.

Spoon took a chance and left her fingers curled around his arm. He didn't seem to mind at all, but a low sound that might have been a sigh rumbled through his chest when she gave his arm an appreciative stroke.

"Sorry," Spoon whispered, and then, "you have really nice arms."

She felt like kicking herself when Charon snorted derisively, "Oh yeah, best in the business," and then pointedly curled his arm to tense his muscles under her palm. She was silent for a moment, beet red as Charon seemed to play mental catch-up. "...that was a serious compliment, wasn't it."

"...maybe?"

"Well, then I guess my 'not bad yourself' is also a maybe?"

* * *

Charon had no idea what he was doing. Spoon was...confusing. The rad-water was patching him up along with the Stims, but it was making him sloppy. Lightheaded even. He disliked the feeling. He was almost flirting with his employer, rewarding her boldness with a languid ripple of muscle and practically purring when she touched him. It was empowering to hear her breathing quicken, feel the timidness in her barely shaking hand. She was fully aware of how powerful he was. She of all people was fully aware, and yet...

She didn't seem afraid. No more than she would be touching any other man. The tremble of her fingers on his fever-hot skin just seemed to be regular in a woman that was dealing with a previous blast of adrenaline. That in and of itself was a heady thing to Charon.

Spoon _wanted_ to touch him, and not out of fear or pity. She was...she _might_ be attracted to him. Him!

Few and far between were his female employers, and none of them had been sound mentally. It was strange to be around a woman who was...in a relative aspect, _normal_. She wanted to touch him. She wanted him to speak his mind, to tell her when he was distressed or at a disadvantage so she could help him. Like she cared, and not only because he was her fuck-shit-up machine.

_She __**cares**__._ The thought made Charon stiffen. It was almost frightening, in a way. He might mean something to someone now. Someone might worry about him if he got hurt. More importantly, _he_ might care more than the contract dictated he had to if a certain someone else got hurt.

Fuck. What if he cried? What if he did that whole, "I can't live without you" business as he buried his face in her hair and wept poetically for what he had lost?

Charon almost snorted at that. _Her caring about me isn't gonna' turn me soft._

_...I hope._

A hand gently squeezed his arm again, interrupting his train of thought. Charon kept his face bland as he carelessly flexed his bicep against her grip. He grinned inwardly at the expression on her face. She clearly hadn't expected him to be this agreeable with her. She had probably thought he would tell her to fuck off. Her fingers danced across his arm, down to his wrist which she then pulled closer to her face, presumably to examine the intricate patchwork that was his flesh and muscle. He waggled his fingers bemusedly, watching her face light up as she traced the individual muscles up the inside of his forearm to his elbow.

_She is somethin' else_.

For all he cared, Spoon could study his miraculous musculature 'til the sun came up.

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**AN:** My most sincere apologies on the late update! I've been in the process of moving and a few things were misplaced. Enjoy!


	26. Chapter 26: Hand-Off

Spoon knew she was really, _really_ lucky at this point. He had let her pull his wrist practically into her lap so she could look at it up close, and she knew she must be overstepping all sorts of boundaries. She couldn't help it though! The way his body moved was captivating, and she wanted to instantly discover all of its secrets. Her fingers traced up and down his wrist, then moved to his leg.

"You want me to take my pants off too? _Needy_ smoothskin." Charon's teasing tone snapped her out of her mindless exploration, and she felt her face start to heat as Charon took her hand. Much like she had done with him, he trailed his fingers across her forearm. Her pulse hammered traitorously as he pressed a thumb to her wrist, all the while so casual and calm.

"Do I fascinate you or something, Mistress?" the tone in his voice was odd now, and Spoon worried that she might have offended him. "Am I a good patient to examine, Doc?"

She remained silent, tongue tied as he somewhat brazenly continued to check her pulse.

"Good news Spoon, you're still alive. A little racy, but seemingly none the worse for the wear." the ghoul said solemnly, his eyes giving away his inner mirth as he looked at Spoon.

She huffed indignantly, finding her voice. "No need to poke fun at me, you giant fucker." she grumbled, trying to tug her wrist from his grip. She might as well have been trying to remove her hand from a block of concrete.

Charon didn't even seem to notice she wanted to get her hand back, his strong fingers firm against her skin. He raised her hand to his face, eyes inquisitive as he began poking and prodding her wrist. Spoon giggled in spite of her self, and the sound seemed to please Charon. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I won't treat you like my own personal lab dummy." Spoon apologized. "It was rude of me. Can you accept my apology so I can have my hand back?"

Charon released her wrist, seeming to almost pout. "Fine. But next time, I'm taking it with me."

Spoon gulped. "You wouldn't."

Charon grinned, showing all of his teeth. "You don't want to know how many times I've heard that."

"How many times have you threatened to take someone's hand with you?!" Spoon squawked.

* * *

"Enough times to know the noises a hand makes when you separate it from the body." Charon growled in reply, making Spoon snicker.

"You're awful. You're only half-joking too, aren't you?" she jibed, gently elbowing him in the side.

"Me to know, you to never find out." Charon watched Spoon scrabble through her bag, tossing little bits of junk this way and that as she dug deeper. His chest tightened as he thought of how close he had come to having his contract holder killed. His brow furrowed. He would just have to be more careful is all. No more mistakes.

Spoon pulled out an old, banged up Pip Boy, presumably to use the light on it to read something that she reverently took out of an inner pocket.

Charon hesitated to ask, but... "What is that?" He kept his voice quiet, so Spoon could ignore his inquiry if she wanted to.

Spoon jolted, looking up almost like she had forgotten he was there. "Oh! Uh, nothing. It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Get some sleep, Charon. Busy day tomorrow." she mumbled, already re-absorbed with reading...whatever-it-was.

Charon huffed. "Sleep is a luxury, _not_ a necessity, Mistress. May I patrol the hall for threats?" he gestured to the door that led to the foyer.

"Mmhmm." Spoon murmured.

The ghoul rolled his eyes as he stood. "I don't suppose I could make you scream my name as you ride my dick, now could I?" he asked in the same tone as before.

"Mmhmm, sure thing Charon." the smoothskin replied, now _very_ obviously absorbed in reading her...whatever-it-was.

Charon felt himself flush, somewhat relieved that Spoon _had _actually been that distracted. Otherwise, things could have gotten rather awkward. That being said, he took minute pleasure in lowering a hand and rumpling her hair on his way to the hallway. But the smoothskin didn't even look up. Her brow just furrowed, like she was thinking excessively hard on something.

Charon went out into the foyer and made himself comfortable in an old office chair, his shotgun lazily propped up on an old computer monitor. _What a day,_ he mused, feeling his eyes grow heavy as he listened for the tell-tale sounds of something stirring in the night.

* * *

**AN:** One of two updates today, next to follow!


	27. Chapter 27: Alone

Spoon awoke the next morning, realizing in a flash that it was _much_ later than normal. The light fighting its way through the boarded-up windows was a golden russet color, indicating the lateness of the day.

_Why didn't Charon wake me?_ Spoon wondered, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. A small scrap of cloth on the floor beside her caught her attention, and she quizzically picked it up. It was saturated with...something. A quick sniff made her vision spin, and she threw the rag, gagging. "Med-X." Spoon said aloud, swearing as she noticed the absence of her rifle. "Charon!" she called, thoroughly worried now.

Spoon got to her feet, sliding the hunting knife out of her boot and slowly advancing towards the lobby. Every sense was on high alert, her brain running through a list of possibilities as long as the Potomac. Did Charon drug her in her sleep? If he hadn't, where was he? What had happened? And why did her heart feel like it was trying to slam its way out of her chest?

Spoon peered around the corner of the doorway, shoulders slumping when she realized the lobby was deserted. She crouched, hearing her father's words echo faintly in her head as she began her forensic investigation. _Alright Spoon, **think**. Look for marks, signs, anything. You're a smart kid._ Spoon shook her head. Not him. Never him. He had _abandoned_ her, left her parentless in a vault full of psychopaths.

She gritted her teeth, focusing on the task at hand. _I gave Charon Stims and Rad water last night. What do Stims do to ghouls besides heal them very slowly? What does radiation do to ghouls in general? Makes them happy, makes them loopy._ Her eyes widened. _Makes them sloppy_.

What if...what if there had been something else living in this building? What if it came from _inside_ the building while Spoon was asleep? They had drugged her and taken her rifle, and then...

A desperate noise fought free of Spoon's throat, a quiet animal-sound. _Charon_. Her fingers traced huge footprints, Charon's footprints in the drifted sand and dirt on the floor. Numerous other footprints, criss-crossed and walked over and over again. Too many footprints. At least six people, maybe more. Some dried blood in the dirt. Frayed bits of rope.

Spoon's blood ran cold when her fingers touched something formidable almost wholly covered in the sand. It was Charon's hunting knife. She recognized the wicked-looking half-serrated blade like it was an old friend. Charon's skill with the blasted thing had been legendary in her eyes. He had shown her a few tricks with her own knife, but she knew she would never come close to his level. Finding his knife without him attached to it was like the final nail in the coffin. Spoon swallowed hard, unsurprised at the lack of Charon's shotgun after her own gun had vanished.

The idea that she was alone again hit her much harder than she would have liked. Tears blurred her eyes for what felt like forever as she contemplated what she could do. She felt like she was leaving the Vault all over again, stepping shaky-legged and terrified out into the blistering sunlight and thin air of a world she did not know, and a world that would not hesitate to punish her for her ignorance.

"_I don't want you to follow me. God knows life in the vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe._"

Her father had said those words before he vanished, gone back to the only thing he had ever loved. Spoon's eyes hardened and she picked up Charon's knife. She stared at it for a long minute, and then her knuckles whitened on the hilt. Charon was the closest thing to a friend she had out here. He was the only one who ever protected her, regardless of whether it was in his contract to do so. Fuck, she'd even gotten him to _smile_ a few times. She doubted _that_ was in the contract. He had said that she was a good person. Well, here was her chance to prove it.

Now _she_ had to be the unstoppable killing machine, a role that, regardless of her smaller size, she was more than willing to play. Charon had to be hurt in order for him to have been dragged off with her still in possession of the contract, and that thought alone made her seethe. Her eyes followed a long furrow in the dirt and sand on the floor where something had been dragged. Something Charon-size. The trail led back into the building, past where she had slept, down another hallway.

A thought made her stop cold. Maybe...maybe the Med-X was supposed to have killed her. She _had_ been exposed to a fair amount of it in the Vault, due to her attempts to find the best possible ways to get her bones broken, either by the so-called, "Tunnel Snakes" or other more accidental ways. She might have built up an immunity to it. Out here, Med-X was hard to come by. A small dose could be lethal enough to kill someone with no tolerance. After all, they hadn't even injected her with it, just dripped some onto a rag and put it over her nose and mouth until she lost consciousness. She probably hadn't even woken up when they did it. She certainly didn't remember waking.

Spoon scrambled to her pack, hidden before she had fallen asleep. She'd learned fairly quick that if you didn't want to wake up with your things gone, you hid them. And while the rifle was what she was most familiar with, she was by no means a slouch with her knife. _Especially since Charon taught me a few things_.

Spoon swallowed the lump of gratitude in her throat, focusing on what she had to do. She thanked whatever god there might be that even though she wore mismatched boots, both the ones she had found had knife holsters clipped to them. Charon's knife slid into her right boot like it belonged there, and hers followed suit on the left. A quick reach down and she was armed. An older, rustier knife with a knuckle duster for a handle took up residence in her left hand, feeling heavy but _good_. Like it was made for her. Some more rummaging procured her Pip Boy for illumination, as well as its handy danger indicators. Enough Stims to fill her pockets.

Spoon squared her shoulders, adjusted her hat, and slipped silently into the hallway.

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**AN:** Two out of two! Thank you so much for the favorites, follows and reviews everyone, from the bottom of my heart. :) stay safe.


	28. Chapter 28: Bound

Charon didn't know how long it had been since he had been trained. One hundred, two hundred years? It didn't matter. The headaches were just as crippling now, stirring unpleasant memories in his dazed mind. He was bound with numerous layers of things; rope and wire and chains tied together with dingy padlocks. His head swam and pounded with every beat of his heart, the phrase feeling like a battering ram against the insides of his temples.

_Return to contract holder._

_Return to contract holder._

_Return to contract holder._

_**Spoon**._

This was worse than when he was with Ahzrukhal. He felt nauseous, helpless and furious. The chains, old as they were, were unyielding when he pulled against them. The ropes frayed but didn't snap like they had the first time. God, he was so _stupid!_ Falling asleep, _why_ did he take the Rad water? He could have just taken the Stims and suffered quietly as everything slowly knit back together. Now he was trapped, chained to the wall in some hellhole. Spoon _must_ be dead, there's no way she survived. The Raiders got past her somehow, killing her in her sleep would have been all too easy with her night watchman asleep at his post.

A new thought occurred to him that made him grit his teeth. _What if they had_...

The image flashed into his mind, unbidden and unwelcome. Her screaming, crying, begging as clothes were torn off, as she was exposed, as they-

Charon's shoulders tensed, rubbing raw in his bindings as he strained against them. He snarled largely out of frustration at the dark figures that slunk around the corners of the room in the half-light. How _dare_ they truss him up like a goddamn quivering coward. How _dare_ they let their _filth_ touch Spoon. _How dare they!_

He threw himself against the chain, his boots slipping in the grime on the floor and dropping him onto his shoulder. _I swore to keep her safe. I told her I would keep her safe. The contract is supposed to keep her safe. _His head rested on the floor and he drew his knees up underneath him. His arms stretched out painfully behind him, biceps crushing against the ropes and wires digging into his skin. He breathed out a whine through gritted teeth, the floor feeling cold and soothing against his pounding head as he fought the urge to scream and vomit at the same time. His stomach was revolting against him, his body thinking that he was purposely rebelling against the contract.

_You're not exactly in a great set of circumstances when your own body fights you mercilessly_. Charon thought with more than a touch of bitterness, retching.

A Raider boot slammed into his ribs. Charon was freshly healed from the super mutant's onslaught, but he prayed that everything had had the chance to set right before, because he was clearly about to have a few things re-broken. He closed his eyes, waiting for the blows to fall. The Raider didn't disappoint, and Charon retreated into the dark corners of his mind. An overwhelming sense of failure numbed Charon's body to the pain, replacing it with the empty feeling of knowing that once again he needed an employer. And for all he knew, he already had one. Doubtless one of these bastards had taken the contract from Spoon's body. Even if they didn't understand the significance of it, their small brains would put it together somehow.

If they didn't kill him first. Charon could take a beating, more so when he physically detached himself from the pain. It left him unaware to the world; it was something like being alone in a quiet, dark room. He would just sit in a chair, pulled from his memory, and think about things. Many topics wandered through his mind in his own version of solitary confinement, and it usually took an immense force to wake him up from it before he was willing. It was here that Charon found himself, quietly seated with his chin rested in his hand. The Wasteland might as well not even exist.

* * *

**AN:** Stay safe, everyone. Thank you again, for the new watches and reviews. As ever, every one of them is appreciated and taken into account.


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